Australia starts extradition process for top mobster
08 Jun 2007 14:11:20 GMT Source: Reuters
(Updates with lawyer quotes, details) By Karolos Grohmann ATHENS, June 8 (Reuters) - Australia has launched the extradition process for its most wanted fugitive, Tony Mokbel, three days after he was arrested in Athens, Australia's top police chief said on Friday. "The extradition process is already under way," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty told reporters, after meeting the Greek police chief. Convicted mobster Mokbel, known as "Fat Tony", was arrested in an Athens suburb on Tuesday following close collaboration between the two police forces, the officers said. Mokbel, who has been sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison for drugs offences in Australia, is also wanted on suspicion of ordering and paying for the murder of rival crime boss Lewis Moran. Moran's death in 2004 was one of a string of gang murders which left 28 people dead over 10 years in a tit-for-tat drugs turf war in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city. Australian police had posted a A$1 million ($833,000) reward for information leading to his arrest and Keelty said he did not anticipate any problems in the extradition procedure. "A formal request for extradition will be handled by the (Australian) Attorney General's department," Keelty said. Greek police chief Anastasios Dimoschakis said once the extradition request had been received by the proper Greek authorities, a final ruling should be expected within 45 days. "Today we decided on all procedures so we can reach the day when we hand over the arrested individual at the stairs leading into the airplane bound for Australia," Dimoschakis said. Mokbel is also accused by Greece of forging his identity card and passport. He was due to stand trial late on Friday on these charges but his trial was postponed for two weeks pending forensic evidence. Mokbel, wearing casual clothes and a blue T-shirt, looked relaxed as he was escorted by police to court and then back to police headquarters. He was accompanied by his girlfriend and at least one of his children. "Today the court postponed the trial for two weeks to receive the forensic analysis of the forged documents," Mokbel's Greek lawyer Yannis Vlachos told reporters. "The case will again be heard on the 22nd (of June). Mokbel is reported to have fled Australia dressed as a priest. He told Greek police he had been living in Greece for the past nine months with his girlfriend and two young children. "He says he is not guilty of the crimes he is charged with in Australia. He believes there were many irregularities in the charges against him mainly because of continued long-standing bad publicity," Vlachos said, adding that Mokbel denies ordering the killing of Moran.
